Inspiration, Introduction, Instruction
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day one hundred and thirty-four: ABCs #9 The Glee Club asks Will about how he joined his Glee Club.


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third, fourth, and fifty cycle. Now here's cycle 6!_

_Walking through a bookstore back in december, I saw the series of books by Sue Grafton that go "A is for...," "B is for...," etc, and I got the idea for this set. It will spread over the end of cycle 6, and carry through cycles 7 and 8, to be posted on alternating days. [And by the time we reach the end, Glee will be a week away!!] What I did is I found three words for each letter that would have some significance to Glee, and I built a plot around it. You with me? Okay, here we go...  
**9 of 26: I is for...**_

* * *

**"Inspiration, Introduction, Instruction"  
Will, Will/ND  
Prequel to "Ensemble, Eras, Expression" and "Memorabilia**

The topic was brought out of the group and Will wondering if they should and/or would get more members. Some believed in strength in numbers, others saw their number as being just fine the way it was. Somehow they had gotten to Rachel asking their dear director, seasoned of his own days in Glee Club, the 'resurgent disco era,' and how he had ended up in the club.

"Well, I auditioned…"

"We know that," Rachel went on to clarify. "But what made you want to?" Will hid a sudden little smile by looking down, but eventually he looked back to the others.

"Alright, well… I guess it starts with love, for music, for the stage… My parents had different tastes. But for my grandmother… it came down to two men: Bing Crosby, and Gene Kelly."

X

When he was younger, five or maybe six years old, he would spend many afternoons with his grandmother. For reasons he didn't understand at the time, she lived and breathed for a set of movies, musicals, which would be on rotation on her television, at all times. It didn't matter if she was actually watching them, they were always in the background. They could be in the middle of a conversation, and she would get a look on her face: Credits were rolling. She'd get up without warning and move to put on the next movie. She'd even bought a machine to rewind the tapes from their local video store.

So whether he meant to or not, Will got to know them by heart. They became associated with her.

And then, the horror… Her television broke. The repair would mean no TV, no movies, for a week at least. She would have just bought a new one, but her son insisted her television would be good as new within days. She argued, but eventually relented. Still, this meant she didn't have her movies. It also translated into deep frustration bordering on crankiness. It was as though the life was knocked out of her.

On the third afternoon, Will had asked his grandmother why she was so upset. She had looked to her grandson with a smile, and she had explained it at last, on the promise that he'd keep the secret. Young Will had agreed immediately. So she had told him, told him how his grandfather, who had died shortly before Will was born, had loved these movies, they both had. They would watch them often, because in a sense it brought them closer.

"So you see, as long as they're there… it's like he is, too… and then it's easier…" Her eyes were misty.

"What's easier?" he asked, unsure. She just smiled.

"Everything…" Will had sat there, considering what she'd said. "I'll make us a snack, alright?" she told him with her smile still as she moved off to the kitchen.

Will looked to the empty spot where the television usually was. He was getting an idea… When his grandmother returned with juice and cookies, he was nowhere to be seen. "Will?" she called, putting the tray down, looking around. He came out from the hall, wearing an old hat he'd seen time and again in the other room. His grandmother laughed.

"What are you doing?" she'd asked.

"Everything," he'd replied. And then he'd proceeded to put on a good part of one of her movies, as best he could. It was the first time he had 'truly' performed. And when he saw the joy on her face, he knew… it wouldn't be the last by far.

X

"So you've been doing it all that time?" Finn had asked.

"Not… exactly," Will corrected. "I liked it, but it took a while more before I knew how much."

"So when you decided to join Glee Club then?" Rachel deduced with a nod. Will tilted his head, once more correcting assumptions.

X

You didn't attend McKinley High at the time he did without knowing one very important and guiding fact: April Rhodes was out of your league if you were (most) guys, and more popular if you were girls. At no time was Will unaware of this. How could he? The moment he'd seen her, his heart started doing funny things, his face felt flush with the well-documented 'April fever.' He wanted to know her…

One day, curious to see what she did all those afternoons in the auditorium, he'd poked his head through the doors. What he saw kept him planted there for the better part of an hour.

The first thing he noticed, as was to be expected, was April. He'd never heard her sing before, but now that he had… he was hooked.

It was a miracle that he managed to do it, but eventually he did take in the whole image, beyond April. He listened to and watched the whole group. From where he stood, it was like something out of his dear Grandma Schuester's movies, brought to vibrant life.

For the rest of the school year and the ensuing summer, he had a crazy little dream… to be a part of it… with all of them… mostly with April… If he ever got to sing with her…

He had doubts, he couldn't deny it. What would his friends think? Would they understand how, beyond the April factor, he did genuinely feel a pull toward this? From the day he'd decided in his mind that he would do this, he could barely stand still.

When the new year started, and the sign-up sheet was posted in the hall, a brand new set of concerns crept up, as he kept the pen against the line following the other names already there – Leigh and Mara O'Donnell, Marcus Finley… what if he was no good? Sure, he thought he could sing and dance okay, as did his grandmother, but why would she say otherwise? He'd put his name there, they'd see he was auditioning… April would see… and what if he didn't make it?

He'd finally done it, pushing away the negative. Once it was up there, he felt the worries roll away, if only a little. Now he had other things to think about, like what he'd sing at his audition.

When the day came, he felt like he'd throw up, like he'd just lose all bodily functions… he was ready. His turn came, and he walked down the aisle to climb on to the stage. He stared out into the empty audience, where Mrs. Adler sat.

He didn't imagine April out there. If anything, it would have made him too nervous. Instead, he pictured his grandmother.

"Will Schuester. I'll be singing 'You were meant for me' from 'Singing in the rain.'"

THE END


End file.
